Welcome to my Mattress Advice Blog

Hi, my name is Tony and I have 29 years in retail mattress sales and management. In  the past, I've owned and operated multiple mattress stores and websites.  I've sold all top 10 mattress brands, along with many "off-brand" mattress models. 

Why do I need to write this blog, given the saturation of information that you can get pertaining to matresses on the internet?  Because mattress shopping can be confusing and even infuriating with all the different choices out there.  To make things worse, the mattress manufacturers assign different names for the same mattress to various retailers.  I'm going to compare mattress models of different brands, announce new product lines, answer mattress-related questions from shoppers looking for a good night's sleep and a fair price for their mattress.  I'll research questions from mattress shoppers regarding matching the mattress names of the same products.  Some top brands actually have up to 30 different names for the same mattress! I'll also match mattress "comfort levels" and mattress types to people based on their: sleep position, firmness preference and any health ailments.  Also, I'll have guest bloggers post excerpts of their Q/A mattress forums.

If you want to ask me a question, just post a comment on any of my entries, or go to the Contact section and ask me a question.  I will do my best to research your question and answer it as thoroughly as I can.

Comments

[Ses]

I have psoriatic arthritis and have not had a good nights sleep for years. Both my husband and I wake up hurting from head to toe. What type of mattress do you suggest?

Thank you for your time and help.

~Ses

[Tony]

Ses,
I also suffer from the same condition, psoriatic arthritis. I purchased a Simmons Beautyrest Worldclass three years ago and it has been wonderful. I would suggest you purchase the Marlowe as it does not include latex. Latex has been linked to aggravating conditions linked with psoriasis. This should help you get a good nights sleep and stop you from hurting from toe to toe. We normally keep these models in stock and shipping is free with no sales tax. I am including the link to the mattress that is most like the one I bought three years ago. http://www.mattresshotlineexpress.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.prodInfo&prodId=113274

Thanks,
Jeff

[Judie]

I bought a Simmons beautyrest Collins plush 7 years ago. It seems to have developed a dip. I'm having back and neck pain it it gets worse at night. My chiropractor thinks I need a new mattress and he recommends a Temperpedic. I went to the mattress store and tried a Temperpedic and a Simmons Vanessa Plush Firm. I'm not so sure I like the Temperpedic and there is a very big price difference. I think I'm leaning towards the Simmons, can you tell me what you know about this model?

Thank you.

[Jeff]

The Simmons Beautyrest Vanessa Classic mattress is a very good choice and a nationwide best seller. Besides the obvious price difference, the Vanessa offers a great nights rest from America’s top mattress company. The Vanessa is so popular it is also used in hotels because it offers very good support in addition to comfort, making it an even better value.

Unlike the Tempurpedic, no one has reported that they get hot or sweaty in the Beautyrest model, which includes Simmons PurFoam, and Visco Memory Foams layered over 800 individual coils that adjust to you to provide correct back support. This is why you were so comfortable in your Simmons Beautyrest Collins.

A little known fact concerning the Tempurpedic is there is a significant difference between the comfort layer on the top of the mattress and the support layer that is made of variable foam. My concern with the Tempurpedic is as the support layer wears or becomes crushed how it effects the back, especially of people that have back issues. The price of the Tempurpedic is also more than most people want to pay for a mattress.

Between these two mattresses, the Simmons Beautyrest is a tried and true choice of millions of people worldwide. The individual coil system has been in use for almost 100 years now and is so successful other manufacturers are copying it for their mattress lines. This 100% American made mattress is also my choice as every bedroom in my home has a Simmons Beautyrest in it and the same is true of most mattress experts in our industry. The one positive thing I can say about the Swedish system is it brought to light a new technology. How that will play out in the future is yet to be known. For me I am sticking with my tried and true Simmons Beautyrest.

[Sue]

Hi Tony - the best mattress we've every had is a 20-year-old Sealy Posturepedic Premier Essense that we still have in a guest room. It's very firm, a little bouncy, and with a firm quilted top, but not the kind of quilting/padding that exist now. When we bought a king bed, we switched to a Sealy Posturepedic Calming TT, which I've never liked and now find painful because it's so soft.

What do you suggest for someone looking for a firm bed? We've tried the S&F Lucas Park Ultra Firm, which felt good, but maybe a little too firm. I'm also not sure about the latex on top? We also liked a very firm Beautyrest that reminded me more of our guest room mattress, but I failed to write down the model. It was priced in the $2k+ range.

Sue

[Tamara Penn]

Jeff,

We are looking for 2 new mattresses and as most, are lost in a world of confusion. We like something firm but not rock hard (i like firmer than my husband) and are concerned about all the people who say their beds with memory foam develop divets quite quickly. I sleep on my side and he sleeps on his stomach. So we were looking at the Simmons Beautyrest World Class Black River, Darlene, or Raleigh. We found some info saying they were the same but they aren't listed as the same height so we aren't sure how they could be the same. Can you help us clear the muddy waters? Thanks.

Tamara

[Jeff]

Tamara,
The Simmons Worldclass Black River Bay is the same as our Simmons Worldclass Marlowe (a.k.a. Clarice). It's one level below our Simmons Worldclass Raleigh (a.k.a., Darlene). If you and your husband are sleeping on the same mattress, the fact that you like the mattress firmer than your husband is good because side-sleepers typically need a softer mattress than stomach sleepers. This brings the "type" of mattress that you two should be sleeping to within the same range. I would recommend the either Simmons Worldclass Marlowe (a.k.a., Clarice) Plush or Simmons Worldclass Marlowe (or Clarice) Luxury Firm models. The Luxury Firm will be a middle-of-the-road feel, with the Plush being just a bit softer. There have been no problems with the Simmons memory foams, most likely because of their high quality. Regarding tight-top mattresses (i.e., Plush, Plush Firm, Extra Firm or Luxury Firm) tend to show less divets (i.e. body prints) than Pillowtop mattresses, as a general rule.